Delaware officials are praising the heroic actions of a state trooper who was killed in a shooting Tuesday at a Department of Motor Vehicles location in Wilmington.
According to Delaware State Police, the deadly incident began when an armed man entered the office at 2 p.m. and shot a trooper working an overtime shift at the DMV reception desk. The soldier, who has not been identified, pushed an employee out of the way before being shot again.
The constable died in the local hospital.
Multiple law enforcement agencies responded to the shooting, including a New Castle police officer who confronted the gunman. A 44-year-old man died after being shot in the encounter.
Joshua Bushweller, secretary of the Department of State and Homeland Security, said the incident was a reminder that troops face danger even in the most routine tasks.
“Two days before Christmas, we lost a hero, a dedicated member of the Delaware State Police family, who literally woke up this morning, put on his uniform like every day and he went to work to serve the people of our state,” Bushweller said.
Two other people suffered injuries unrelated to the gunshot. Another was a state trooper and the other was a 40-year-old woman who was taken to the hospital.
Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer praised the slain soldier as a hero Tuesday, saying the man made the “ultimate sacrifice” in the line of duty.
He said, “What happened today was a completely wicked act, and had it not been for the heroism of many soldiers and other officers, the consequences could have been much worse.”
